USC unveiled its highly touted no-huddle offense Wednesday night during the first scrimmage of training camp and the Trojans proved they definitely need the next two weeks to prepare for the season opener against Fresno State.

With many plays at the Coliseum taking at least 20 seconds it was hard to tell the pace was much faster than a conventional huddle offense and it did not help that there were at least 15 penalties in the 98-play scrimmage.

“We started out with a little bit of anxiety early on,” USC coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We got a little sloppy with the ball on offense and gave up some big plays on defense.”

USC did not allow offensive players to speak to the media afterward and that probably was good with the uneven performances. Unofficially, Cody Kessler was 14 of 20 for 144 yards with one interception and one touchdown. Max Browne was 10 of 17 for 191 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Most big plays on offense occurred against the non-starters on defense, such as Browne throwing an 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Victor Blackwell. Freshman quarterback Jalen Greene did not play because of an abdominal strain. Kicker Andre Heidari made a 56-yard field goal.

Wide receiver Nelson Agholor was held out and freshman wide receiver Juju Smith was one star with a touchdown and leaping sideline catch for 22 yards.

Former rams center at practice

Cole Smith, a center at Mission Viejo High School and son of former Rams all-pro center Doug Smith, attended practice this week. Doug Smith was a USC assistant coach in the mid-1990’s and currently coaches at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

USC offered Cole Smith a scholarship over the weekend and he is believed to favor the Trojans.

Chris Claiborne sighting

Former USC linebacker Chris Claiborne, the Butkus Award winner in 1998, attended practice. Claiborne is currently the defensive coordiantor at Calabasas High School.

Helmets delayed

USC is scheduled to wear shinier red helmets this season that will appear much brighter than in past seasons. But the new helmets might not make their debut until the fourth game of the season Sept. 27 against Oregon State at the Coliseum because of delays in manufacturing them.

The helmets require a special reflective paint and cost as much as $1,000 each. USC will also wear chrome face masks with the new helmets. The Trojans will wear their regular helmets until the new helmets arrive.

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Extra game day options

USC is going to start selling food to fans who want to tailgate on campus during home football games. A new area will be designated at Alumni Park, which is in front of Doheny Library. Food and drinks for will be sold and large TV screens will be set up to watch football games.

There will also be a fanfest-type area where kids can toss, kick and snap footballs. The area will open four hours before kickoff.

Extra work for Jackson

Freshman Adoree Jackson’s been out with a sore foot and ankle but one thing coaches worked with him on during training camp is his catching technique after some early dropped catches.